Twilight
by trenity170
Summary: Kurama is up one night, wandering aimlessly around the streets of Japan when he meets Arisa, a girl with a death wish, who holds a secret deep in her heart. During a new tournament, Kurama finds himself falling in love with her...
1. Death and a talk

Disclaimer: I don't own any yu yu hakusho characters!!! Don't sue me, or else all you will get is two pennies... sad... Ooh...and some lint... Arisa is MINE though! And her family!  
"Sorry, Miss Arisa, but you parents just died..."  
"Oh, from old age, right..." Arisa replied, looking sadly at the tiled floor. She fingered her slim left wrist.  
"Yes, they passed away peacefully, don't worry, they were not in pain."  
"Oh, yes, that's good. Thank you..."  
"You aren't they're daughter are you?"  
"Oh! Uh... No, I'm their grand daughter..." Arisa replied, tears coursing down her cheeks at the lie she had to make. She was their daughter, but no way could she tell the doctors that! They'd then want to take tests about her.  
"Well, I am very sorry for your loss. Do you have somewhere to stay?"  
"Yes... I'll go and stay in our house."  
"Well, try and have a nice day," the doctor comforted her, putting a large hand on her shoulder. Arisa nodded as she looked at the doctor's sleepy face. She looked at the clock. It was about 1 am, and she sighed, as she walked out of the hospital, tears flowing down her cheeks in a relentless downpour.  
Arisa attempted to stem the flow, but unfortunately, her tears kept flowing. She did her best to wipe them off as she walked down the street, the orb like lights casting an eerie glow on her face as she sighed, looking down at her hands again.  
'Why am I crying...? I knew this would happen! Everybody knows humans die, it's just a matter of when, but if it's just that simple, why am I so sad?' she thought to herself, looking to the sky for an answer, but as usual, no answer preceded her plea for help. That's when she saw him.  
He was a young boy around fifteen or sixteen, with deep red hair and large green eyes. He was strolling around the street, a sad look on his face.  
"Hello, isn't it late for you to be up walking around?" Arisa asked, walking over to him, her long russet colored curls hair falling over one of her shoulders.  
"Oh, hello, I'm just having a hard time sleeping..." he replied, trailing off.  
"I know what you mean. Do you parents know you're walking around here?" she asked again, placing her hands into her deep jean pockets.  
"Actually, I'm up because of my parents..." He trailed off again. A sad look rested on his innocent looking face.  
"Hey, c'mere, and sit down. I know I won't be to be much help, but sometimes it helps to talk to someone," Arisa offered, her face looking gently at him, sorrow haunting her eyes. The boy noticed that she had two different colored eyes. One was deep jade green, and the other was a baby blue.  
"Okay, I guess it won't hurt," he sighed, looking at her sorrowfully. The two walked over to the nearby bench that was very close to the lake in the park.  
"So, then, what's on your mind?" She asked, looking over at him kindly.  
"My mother."  
"Why?"  
"I'm afraid of when she dies. I don't want it to happen..." He replied, his head leaning into his chest.  
"All humans die, it's just a matter of when, why, and how. We all have to face that," Arisa replied, her voice was quiet, but it commanded the attention of the small forest. The young man noticed all the noise in the minuscule forest ceased when she spoke though.  
"That's just a bit harsh," he noted.  
"No, that's life. Life is harsh, trust me, I know. I just came from the hospital. It's nothing more then people on their last leg, and they pitifully cling onto what is left of their lives. There's nothing anyone can really do. That's what's unfair," Arisa responded, looking at him with a sad look on her face.  
"But you're wrong! Life isn't just that plain! And the people in the hospital hold onto hope because..."  
"Because that's all they have!" Arisa yelled back, tears coursing down her cheeks. The young man looked at her in surprise.  
"What's wrong?" He asked.  
"Where was hope when my parents died!" she yelled back. The young man noticed that she seemed to have yelled not at him, but at the sky.  
"When did they die?" he asked quietly.  
"Today."  
"I'm sorry, how?"  
"Old age," she replied, her tears running down her cheeks.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry..."  
"It's no problem. It looks like it's time for me to head off. Let me tell you something. The truth about Eternity... Everyone dies... But no one will ever get used to it, just look at me. I've had a lot of people I love die... They'll all die... You have it easy. Have a nice night..." she replied, her tender voice trailing off as she walked off, her long white jacket trailing behind her. The young boy was left sitting on the bench. The young woman's odd words rang in his ears. He shook his head. What did she mean by a lot of people she's loved have died? He shook his head. He suddenly felt tiered, so he went back to his house, letting himself in silently as he snuck up to his room. He lay down on his bed and drifted off to sleep.  
  
Okay, that's it! I'm sorry! The next chapter will be coming in as soon as I can, and it'll be a lot longer! Please review! I won't write more if you don't review! I'll take anything! Even FLAMES!!! PLEASE?!?! 


	2. Imagine Meeting You!

Hellooooo! Back again! Like I promised... This one'll be tons better... The last one was really sad and dark, ya know, the whole parents dying thing at the beginning! Okie dokie! Back to the story line!  
  
"Well... Good Morning Japan! Let's start off the morning with some Do as Infinity and here..." the clock radio blared as Kurama woke, up; he reached out and slammed it, making the blaring noise stop. He stared at it sleepily; his hair was tangled and more messy then usual. Groaning, he swung his legs out of his bed and heaved himself up. He shook his head, which was still filled with the thoughts of the girl from the night before.  
"I must remember to change the radio station on my clock..." he muttered, rubbing his head as he walked out of his room, ignoring the many plants in the room. Upon reaching the kitchen he noticed a small post it note that read 'Suiichi, gone for the weekend, sorry. Food in fridge. Please go shopping for milk, honey, half and half and cleaning solution for the floors. Love, Mom'. Kurama smiled as he crumpled up the letter and got ready to go take a shower...  
  
Half an hour later...  
  
Kurama walked outside, wearing a pair of nice khaki slacks and a loose red shirt. He looked at the shopping list in his left hand as he walked to the nearest convenience store. He brushed his crimson hair over his shoulder as he walked in happily. As he headed for the milk fridge, he noticed the light coming from the fake lighting bouncing off a young girl's perfect auburn curls. He thought the locks looked familiar, and walked over to her, noticing the girl wore a smock that showed she worked at the store. She was reading a thick paper back book, and the smock was placed over an army green tank top (it's summer!!) and a pair of acid washed shorts. Her hands wore the tell tale signs of dirt and so did her knees.  
"Excuse me..." Kurama replied, staring at her.  
"Huh?" she looked up, her hair cascading off her shoulders. He recognized that face and smiled.  
"You're the girl from the other night. Remember me?" he asked, looking at her innocently.  
"Oh yes, you're the fellow insomniac here in Japan, correct?" she replied, laughing, revealing perfectly white and straight teeth.  
"Uh, I guess you could say that. Are you okay...? You did say your parents died..." he trailed off, looking at her kindly.  
"Oh! I'm fine. It's just a tad bit lonely in the house now. I did make it here on time for my job though. I just started. Need anything?" she asked, smiling at him sweetly.  
"No, I'm just doing some shopping. My mother is gone for the weekend."  
"Oh! You still worried about her, huh?" she asked, looking at him curiously.  
"No! I'm pretty sure I'm fine now, thanks for your advice. It's a bit morbid, but it did the trick. She smiled back at him.  
"I forgot your name..." she replied, looking at him apologetically. "Well, it's easy to forget someone's name when they didn't give it. I'm..." he thought of telling her his birth name or his real name, "Suiichi Minomino, but all my friends call me Kurama."  
"Ah, so do I call you Suiichi?"  
"No, you can call me Kurama," he replied, smiling at her.  
"Well, I'm Arisa... Arisa Katakana. I'm very happy to have met you," she replied, looking at him with her genuine look of pleasure.  
"Well, then, Arisa, what do you do here?"  
"I work in the Gardening department. My shift just..." she looked at her watch, "Ended! YES!! Hey, after you're done paying, wanna go and get a bagel with me or something?" she asked, smiling broadly.  
"I would enjoy that very much," he replied smiling back at her.  
"Ya know," she said out loud suddenly as they were walking to the register. "I think it's very ironic. You've only known me for, what, maybe a few hours, and it already seems like we're great friends..." she mused; Kurama looked at her and smiled.  
"Too true, I guess we just have a lot in common." He replied, smiling at her again. He finished paying for his stuff and Arisa dropped off her smock, and they walked over to the nearby coffee place. She bought green tea and a sourdough bagel and Kurama bought a Snapple and a small vegetarian sandwich.  
"Let's go into the park, it's very soothing..." he replied, trailing off, his face held a look of hope in it.  
"I was hoping you'd say that! The park is my favorite place; the nature surrounding you is so serene! It's not that big though," Arisa replied her voice bubbly and she smiled happily at him. The two walked to the park which was just two blocks away.  
"So, you thought my advice was morbid??" she asked quizzically.  
"Yes, actually, you stated the facts so clearly it was as if you were unafraid of death, like you couldn't die..."  
"Oh! I can die..." she muttered, looking at the grass of the park.  
"All humans die, you said that, I guess it's true for you!" he replied, laughing slightly. Arisa blushed for no apparent reason. Kurama opened his mouth to say something more, when his cell phone rang, and happy little tune beeped from it. He picked it up.  
"Hello, Suiichi Minomino speaking... Oh! Hello Botan! ... What?! Why does he need me NOW?!?! Fine, I'll be there in half an hour. Thank you for informing me," he chatted into the phone. He looked over at Arisa with a look of apology.  
"I am so sorry to have to tell you that I must go and meet with my... ahem... employer. I'll try and meet up with you again," he replied, looking at her sadly.  
"Hey, no problem, I understand, I have to work too."  
"Yes, but I am sorry, where can I see you again, I do want to continue our conversations," he replied, smiling.  
"Oh, no prob. I'm at the gardening section at the store five days a week from Six am to twelve pm. Don't sweat it, I'll be seeing you around, no doubt," she laughed, waving her hand nonchalantly.  
"Okay then, see you later, Arisa." And he ran off, hurrying to go and meet Botan.  
  
In The Spirit World, Kurama is in front of Koenma...  
  
"Okay, what do you want, Koenma?" he asked.  
"Oh, you're here, good. Have you ever heard of Gaia?"  
"Yes, she's the spirit of nature; she's basically a Goddess, why?"  
"A goddess? No... She's nothing more then a guardian. A human gifted with extraordinary powers. A human guardian is chosen once every hundred thousand years."  
"But, if one is chosen every hundred thousand years, then how does the human live that long?" Kurama asked, cocking his head.  
"Well, they are gifted with immortality and they remain immortal until the end of time. They can die though, if pierced through the heart." Koenma explained.  
"What does this have to do about me? Or why you called me down here?" Kurama asked, a mild smile graced his face.  
"Oh, that's because the new..."  
"HEY! TODDLER! WHAT'D YOU CALL US DOWN HERE FOR??" Yuske rudely interrupted.  
"Ah, Yuske, you're here. I thought I told you to stop calling me a toddler?"  
"Yeah, ya told me, but I really didn't listen. What's this about a new tournament?"  
"Yeah! Something smells Fishy!!" Kuwabarra replied, his annoying voice ringing throughout the room.  
"Hn. I honestly don't care, but I hope that it won't be filled with half rate hacks that cannot ever imagine beating me," Hiei stated simply, glaring slightly.  
"What? There's another tournament?" Kurama blurted out, surprise all over his face.  
"Yes, the Tournament of the Seven Souls."  
"What is that?" Kurama asked, slightly irked that he was kept out of the picture.  
"It's a high level tournament that draws in many different kinds of demons, humans, and spirits. It's going to be quite trying. Many different sponsors are sending in their teams of five are being sent in from all over the world, both human and demon. It's going to be rather trying, and I decided you four needed..."  
"WAIT A MINUTE! There are only four of us, last time I checked. Where we going to get a fifth member?" Yuske interrupted rudely.  
"Ahem, as Yuske blurted, you will need another team member. So, I have sent out an invitation to her."  
"Ya mean Genkai??" Kuwabarra yelled out. (note: in my story, Genkai is still alive!!)  
"No, a very powerful individual, though. I sent her an invitation for the tournament. Well, if she accepts I send her to meet you four."  
"When does the tournament start?" Kurama asked.  
"In a day." And with those words, the four walked out of the spirit world via the portal. It was at that moment, Koenma noticed another portal opening up. Koenma looked up, and smiled as he saw someone walk through.  
  
Okay, that's it again! See, it's longer!! YAY! Yet again, please send more reviews, I need input!! Any ideas, any thoughts, even any flames!?!?!?! Thanks! Until next chapter! Like usual, I won't write more unless you review!! Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha!! 


	3. Anger of a gaurdian

YAY! I'm back... again! Okay, no stalling, let's cut straight to the chase!  
  
Arisa walked home as Kurama ran off to meet with his employer. She sighed as she walked down the familiar streets, looking sadly at the destruction that man kind was inflicting on the nearby forests.  
Her keys clattered as they swung around on the large silver key chain she had grasped in her hands. With a quiet clicking sound, the key was inserted into the lock, and she twisted the key, and shoved the door open.  
"I'm home!" she called out, then she realized what she said, and covered her mouth with her hand.  
"Stupid! They're not here! They're six feet under!!" she muttered, hitting her head with her other hand. She moaned as she walked into the dining room, tossing her coat onto the nearby chair. Noticing a small, thick envelope sitting on the table, Arisa walked over to it, and ripped it open, noticed the wax seal. The seal bore the mark of Koenma. She groaned as she read the letter.  
"Arisa, I need to ask you of a favor. Please join Team Urameshi in the Seven Souls Tournament. We need someone of your power to help win the tournament. Reply as soon as possible... you haven't changed one bit..." she muttered angrily. She then put the letter in her pocket, and outstretched her right arm, her palm placed horizontally.  
"Portal to the Spirit World. I, Guardian of Earth command thee to open!" she called out, and a flash of green light, a portal opened, and she walked through.  
"KOENMA!! What is this about some crackpot idea that I'm going to fight in a tournament? Huh??" She yelled the moment she arrived at Koenma's office.  
"Ah, Arisa, you're here! I'm glad to see you got the invitation. So, do you accept?"  
"NO!! You know I don't like to fight! You're just trying to use me as another one of your pawns! Well, not me!" she yelled back as she stomped her foot in the ground.  
"Please, Arisa. I'm asking you to do this so Team Urameshi will not crumble!!" Koenma said pointing out that the humans needed her very badly.  
"Still, no! My job is JUST to protect the earth!" Arisa yelled back at him.  
"But if Team Urameshi loses in the matches because of lack of members, then the Earth will be in grave danger. You are the guardian of earth, and that remains to be your title until your death comes upon you! So protect it, and the people of Team Urameshi." He replied, his voice rising slightly to match her volume.  
"Fine, I'll do it, but only to protect the Earth," she replied sullenly, glaring at Koenma.  
"Great! I want you to go and meet Team Urameshi, and get to know them! Go, and tomorrow, come and meet me back here and we'll leave for the tournament," Koenma explained, and waved his hand at her as she muttered the incantation, and walked through it, and emerged to see Team Urameshi staring at her.  
"Hey ya guys! I'm the newest member of ya team! Hey... What the heck are you doing here, Kurama?" she asked suddenly, looking at him with surprise.  
"Arisa?!? I should ask you the same question!!!" he stared at her with a look of major shock at her.  
"Koenma suckered me into fighting in the tournament. I personally don't like fighting with frail beings such as humans," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.  
"Hn. Someone who sees my point of view," Hiei stated plainly.  
"You can fight??" Kurama asked, looking at her in surprise.  
"Yes."  
"What powers do you have??" he asked again, looking at her with shock yet again.  
"I can control all aspects of nature; sorry I didn't tell you before" she apologized, looking at him sadly.  
"It's no problem, we all keep our secrets," he replied, laughing nervously about his own fox demon heritage.  
"Well, then, what's yours?" she teased.  
"..." he looked at her somewhat guiltily at her.  
"Whoa! You're the new member?? You can fight??" Yuske yelled out, surprise written all over his face.  
"Yes and yes," she replied, looking at him somewhat angrily.  
"Man, I never would've guessed it!" Kuwabarra yelled out.  
"So, where is Koenma?" Kurama asked.  
"He's filling out the final paperwork for the fights."  
"Hn. If that's all, I'll be going," Hiei mumbled as he walked away.  
"I'm gunna go and get some food with Urameshi," Kuwabarra yelled out as he and Yuske ran off to find some food.  
"So, Kurama, what do you do?" she asked, seeing as she was left alone with him.  
"I do some basic fighting, and that's basically it. I also have basic powers over earth." He replied. She smiled at him.  
"Are you excited to be fighting in the tournament?" she asked, her voice yet again commanding his attention.  
"I don't like fighting, and I try to avoid it if I can," he replied.  
"I don't like fighting either, but Koenma told me it was my duty and all," she said, rubbing her head and blushing slightly.  
"You are very odd. You seem unafraid of death, but you can die. You seem to hate humans, but you seem to be one, and you hate fighting, but you seem to want to fight," he replied, looking at her with a look of curiosity.  
"Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm really odd... But I have a reason..."  
"What?" he asked, looking at her innocent face.  
Arisa sighed as she fell backwards into the grass.  
"If I told you, you'd just be afraid, that's why I don't tell anyone..." she muttered sadly, her hair fanning out on the grass.  
"Try me," Kurama replied.  
"Nah..." she muttered, trailing off, laughing as rolled over slightly.  
Soon, Kurama watched as the girl lying next to him drifted off to sleep. He smiled, as small part of him wishing he could tell her, but he felt as though she would be scared. As soon as Arisa drifted off into a deep slumber, Hiei walked over.  
"Hm, what's with the long face Kurama? Are you worried about the girl, or about yourself?" he asked, looking at his good friend.  
"Both, actually. I don't like fighting in these tournaments, although you seem to enjoy it."  
"Hn. There is no enjoyment in these stupid tournaments, all they do is attract low grade demons for me to kill." Hiei muttered.  
"I forgot, you actually like fighting," Kurama replied, smiling slightly as Hiei's cold face.  
"Hn, promise me one thing, Kurama, let the girl fight first, I want to see what she can do," Hiei said, looking at the sleeping girl.  
"Why, usually you would want to fight first?" he asked, joining in on Hiei's stare-fest at Arisa.  
"I want to see how powerful she really is," he stated plainly.  
"Deal."  
  
That's it.... Again... okay... next time I write, it'll be a fight, so yeah... YAY!! 


	4. Ruon

Yup! I'm back again!! Let's get started!! It's at the tournament now, and the group is getting together in front of the large stadium platform. BTW... in this chapter you see Arisa finally fight!  
  
Kurama paced near the door, he was really nervous. What if he died? What would that do to his mother? He bit his lip as he looked at his watch's face. Why wasn't Arisa here? They had five minutes until the first fight!!  
"Um, does anybody know where Arisa is?" Kurama asked, wondering where the heck she was.  
"Hn, I don't know where that Ningen is," Hiei stated as he walked over to the group.  
"She had better get here soon, or else we'll be disqualified!" Yuske replied as he walked over to Hiei and Kurama. Their conversation was stopped though by the large doors behind them opening. A deafening roar filled the stadium as their last team-member finally made it to the stadium.  
Arisa came running through the doors the moment there was enough room for here to squeeze through, which was easy, thanks to her thin frame. A blush was on her cheeks from the running.  
"Ah... Sorry guys! I got lost, this place is uh, really big," Arisa yelled out in between her gasps for breath.  
Arisa wore expensive black sandals that had elegant small heels. Loose, low riding black slacks that had large, belled legs rested on her small hips and the pants bore a gold emblem that was covered by her thick retro black and white belt. Her torso was covered by a soft white spaghetti strapped shirt that had a sweet looking scooped neckline embroidered with small pearls (real, duh) Pulled over the white top was a tailored black jacket that fell just past her ankles. The large collar fell softly, and it was unbuttoned so her tan neckline was revealed. A cord of small pearls and sliver adorned her neck very much like a choker. Many silver bangles adorned her wrists, and she jogged up to the group.  
"We were worried about you," Kurama replied as he smiled at her.  
"Nothing to be worried about, I'm always late, I'm actually very well known for it!" she replied, her voice slightly perky. She smiled half- heartedly as she leaned up against the tall sides of the stadium platform.  
"Hey!! You could have gotten us disqualified!!" Yuske yelled at her.  
"Uh, It's not like I really care," Arisa replied, shrugging if off coolly.  
"Hn, you are fighting first," Hiei stated as he walked off, to whom knows where...  
"WHA?!?!OW!" Arisa yelled out as she slipped down the side of the platform, and her body hit the ground, "What the heck are you talking about??" she yelled out as pushed herself off the floor and dusted herself off.  
"Uh, we would like you to go first, so we can, uh, see how good of a fighter you are, sorry," Kurama muttered as he waved his hand in an off handed fashion.  
"Well, I can see where I am on the pecking order here, hmpf" she replied as she dusted off the collar on her jacket.  
"Thanks for getting my Armani jacket!" she muttered as she brushed off the last bit of dust off her shoulder.  
(Author's note: Okie dokie, I just want you to know that Arisa comes from an uber-rich family that is explained later, and that all of her clothing is name brand designer stuff. Example: her shoes are Coach, her pants and jacket are Armani, and her T-shirt is Michael Star. All of her jewelry came from Tiffany's.)  
"What are you doing wearing Armani in a fight like this?" Yuske asked, confused.  
"Meh, my parents were super rich, and they left me with a large inheritance," she replied, shrugging it off.  
"Ah, I forgot, you parents died recently didn't they?" Kurama asked, looking at Arisa sadly.  
"Yeah, so what's it to ya?" she snapped at him defensively as she glared slightly.  
"Uh, nothing..." Kurama replied as he backed away from her slowly. She had the tendency to scare him.  
"Will Team Urameshi's fighter please step up to the ring?" the announcer asked with an annoyed tone in her voice.  
"I'm coming, don't lose your shirt," she yelled at the announcer, "but then again, it doesn't have far to fall..." she muttered under her breath as she hoisted herself off the ground and onto the ring's floor.  
As soon as she stood up, she peeled off her jacket, shoes, and jewelry, and handed placed them on the arena's floor near her team members and she walked over to the center of the ring as she faced the announcer and the demon she was going to have to fight.  
"All right-y, we have Arisa Katakana, one of the humans of Team Urameshi, and we have Ruon, one of the many demons of Team Braedin! Are you ready?" the announcer asked.  
Ruon stood casually in front of Arisa. He wore long black pants over his skinny long legs, and a long sleeved blood red shirt was covered by a long black blazer with silver buttons. A loose black bow tie hung limply from his neck. Over his short blonde hair was a simple black hat and he smiled slyly at her. Arisa glared silently back at him.  
"And, match start!"  
With that, Ruon charged forward at Arisa with two large sharp knives. Arisa did the best she could to jump out of the way, but she felt a searing pain in her shoulder as both of the blades plunged into her right shoulder. She screamed out in pain as the two parted, and Arisa whipped around to see Ruon smirking as he turned to face her, licking her blood off his blades. Arisa grasped her shoulder and struggled to breath through the pain.  
"W...w...well, I see you know how to...uh... use those," she struggled to talk through the pain.  
"Ha ha ha, I'm impressed that you haven't collapsed yet," Ruon replied in his smooth quiet voice. Arisa gasped in pain as her shoulder throbbed angrily.  
In a blur of black, Ruon charged again, smiling the same sly smile and glaring at her from blood red eyes. Arisa did the best to dodge of blow of the knives, but again, she felt steel enter her body, this time it hit her in the lower back, luckily missing any vital organs. Arisa screamed out in pain again as the two dodged out of the way and they both ended up at the edges of the ring.  
"Ha, ha, ha, I hope you understand that I won't kill you fast, do you know why, Miss. Katakana?" Ruon asked, his voice still remaining at the same suave tone.  
"No... I...I don't actually know why, so then, why don't you enlighten me!" Arisa managed to yell back at him between gasps of pain as her hands covered her wounds as blood still trickled out between her long thin fingers.  
"Because, you're going to feel the pain your parents went through. I'm going to enlighten you on dying slowly," Ruon replied, smiling at her as he wiped off his blades.  
"Hah, so I'm going to die slowly?" she asked, smirking at him.  
"Yes."  
"Well, what's that expression?? Oh yeah, you first," she yelled out as she threw a knife she had hidden under her right pant leg. Ruon dodged it, but it managed to cut him across his cheek, and deep red blood trickled slowly down his cheek.  
"You will pay for that, Miss," Ruon replied, his voice turning ice cold for a second.  
Arisa was standing there, gasping for breath, when suddenly, Ruon disappeared from her sight, and then she felt something connect with her face. Her body went spinning and she soon hit the ground, and the rock splintered as her body hit it.  
Arisa lay amid the fractured rocks and she struggled for breath, blood dripping out of her mouth. She groaned in pain as she tried to get up, when Ruon was on her again, and he cut her five times on each cheek, each and every cut was very deep. Arisa felt blood drip down her cheeks.  
"Now, now, now, don't you remember I told you that you weren't going to die fast," Ruon replied, chuckling to himself.  
"..." Arisa did her best to reply, but found that she couldn't seem to talk.  
"Aw, sad about that broken jaw?" Ruon asked, smirking at her.  
"Y....y....you..... W....w....wish...." she replied her voice thin and watery as she did her best to smirk up at Ruon.  
"Well then, are you ready for some more fighting?" Ruon asked, smiling back at her as he stepped away.  
Arisa struggled for breath as she pulled her stiff body off the rocks, and she looked somewhat disconnectedly at the blood that was making small puddles under her feet.  
"Ah, so you still have some fight in you?" Ruon replied, his voice curious, "good, because it's no fun to kill someone who can't fight back."  
"BITE ME!!" she yelled back, wiping the blood out of her eyes and off her face.  
"Want me to?" he asked, and he yet again disappeared.  
'Crap, where is he?" she asked herself in her head, she did he best to see where the annoying demon was. Abruptly she stopped thinking as she felt her body get driven into the solid rock ring, and the audience was shocked to see that Ruon drove her small frame deep into ring and her scream of pain rang throughout the stadium.  
"Uh... is that it?" the announcer asked, wondering what was going on in the stadium, and she stared at the bloody hole....  
  
Okay then, that's it!! It's a really sad cliffy, so read and review!! Thanx!! And see you in the next chapter 


	5. Goodbye

Hello- Okie dokie! Right on to the story line... Remember, Ruon just smashed poor Arisa into the stadium's floor, and yeah....  
  
(Arisa's POV)  
"ONE!"  
"Ah... so this is how I die??" I muttered as my body scream out in pain. I moved my head slightly, trying to get my bearings when each nerve of my screamed in protest. I bit my lip to avoid screaming. I could feel blood ooze out of every cut on my body. Salty tears and coppery blood mixed in my mouth.  
"TWO!"  
'I won't be missed, never have been, never will be... and I'll get to see my parents again...' I thought to myself, sobbing slightly. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to die, and I guess that was the problem. Sobs started to make my body shudder, and tears poured silently out of my eyes.  
"THREE!"  
Why won't that person stop counting? I'm gone, dying, leave me alone already! My head pounded in agony. Maybe I could just lay here until she calls out ten. Sure, I'd let the team down, but heck, it was going to happen eventually, might as well just lay here, stay in this hole of pity.  
"FOUR!"  
Man, I wish I could have just gotten a few small punches in on that Ruon guy! Doesn't matter anymore, I mean...No!! I can't do that!! I... I... don't want... don't want to die? Yeah I  
"Five!"  
WILL THAT BROAD EVER STOP COUNTING?? JEEZ!! Fine, you win!!! I reached up slowly grasping one jagged side of the hole. My hands scrabbled so I could reach the rock. It hurt so badly and my fingers felt so many little splinters of rock cut my hands and I reached up with my free hand and wiped the blood out of my eyes.  
"SIX!!"  
I'm coming!! I'm coming!!! I slowly clambered out of the hole, feeling my hands getting ripped apart by the large, sharp fragments of rock. I'm gonna make it.... Someday.... Some year.... Some century?? Is it just me or is this hole growing??  
"SEVEN!"  
"Shut... up..." I gasped as I tried to yell. All that is succeeded in doing was making more blood pour out of my mouth.  
'All right, not doing that again,' I thought to myself as I wiped my mouth. My blood tasted really bad very much like  
"EIGHT!!"  
"I'm COMING!!" my once sweet voice slowly climbed out of my throat and sounded like an old man. I don't know if my voice actually reached the top of the hole, but I groaned as I started to feel light bathe my tattered skin. I did it!!  
"Nin... wait!! Arisa is out of the hole!!" the announcer's voice drilled through my throbbing head. I pulled my body out of the hole and struggled to my feet. (POV Kurama)  
I stood there, watching the body of Arisa pull itself out of the hole. She appeared more dead then alive and crimson blood pooled around her bare feet, her pant's legs torn vertically all the way up far past her knees. I blushed as her once crisp white now was deep burgundy and clung to her small frame damply. I didn't want to admit it, but for some reason, I didn't want to believe she had died, and relief washed over me so quickly, I felt flooded in it. Part of me felt overwhelmed with joy, and the other part of me wanted to rush to her and try to save her. I sighed in relief, though why was still a mystery to me. (normal POV)  
"Ha ha ha, so the girly can stand pain, I won't lie, you impress me, but you're life will be mine," Ruon called out to her as he fingered a deep red amulet that hung from his neck.  
"I still have a few more surprises up my sleeves," Arisa replied, her voice threadbare and watery.  
"Good, I was hoping for an interesting fight," Ruon replied, and with that, he disappeared from her sight yet again.  
"DON'T YOU EVER STAY IN ONCE PLACE??" Arisa yelled out, then she soon regretted it as more blood trickled out of her mouth.  
'D, I must be internally bleeding!' Arisa thought to herself as she wiped off more blood.  
Then she felt it, cold, unforgiving steel enter into her body numerous times and stay. Three in the shoulder region, one in her right leg's thigh, and two more in the lower back. The daggers stood out of her back and Arisa cried out in pain again as a fresh new wave of pain washed over her.  
"Didn't I tell you? You are going to die SLOWLY. I haven't hit any major organs or arteries, so you'll live."  
"Unfortunately," Arisa replied as she reached back and pulled out the last of the daggers. She grimaced at him as she dropped the daggers out of the ring.  
"Aw, so you are not going to use those, what a stupid little girl," he smirked back at her, and laughed frigidly.  
"You know, you're right," she replied as she charged at him, and managed to punch him square in the jaw, but Ruon grabbed her by her shirt collar, and threw her back onto the ground.  
"Hm?" he muttered as he felt his jaw.  
"You're punch couldn't even hurt the weakest apparition, this is getting pathetic," He laughed at her as he walk to her.  
Arisa scrambled to get away from Ruon, but she was too slow, and she felt him break her ankle. Screaming, she felt it again. Fear. She didn't want to die, and that was new to her. Her shaking hands scrabbled around the floor, until her right palm hit a jagged fragment of rock, and she closed her hand around it. With a deep shuddering intake of breath, she heaved herself off of the floor, muttering something incoherent under her breath as she stepped on her ankle.  
'O-Kay, not stepping on that again!' she thought as she lifted that foot slightly off the floor.  
"Ya know, you're right Ruon, I deserve to die, why don't 'cha just do me the honors, I'm defiantly not one for pain. So please, do me one little favor, and just finish this fight," Arisa's watery voice called out to him.  
"Now then, why would I ever want to do that??" Ruon asked as he cleaned his hands nonchalantly.  
"Because, I'm no good in the fighting category at my present condition, and you want me dead," Arisa stated.  
"Hm, well then, I shall do you the honor of dying at my hand," Ruon replied as he pulled out one more dagger, the most elaborate.(where does he keep them all?!?! O.o)  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOIN'?? IF YOU DIE, WE LOSE THIS FIGHT?!?!" Yuske yelled at her from the sidelines.  
"Sorry..." she muttered, closing her fist ever tighter around the stone.  
'This had better work...' she thought to herself grimly.  
"Besides, you guys don't understand what it's like going on when all of your other family is dead.... Being the last of your family line... and knowing you'll just let them down! Besides... I'll see my parents again... Thank you, Ruon..." she replied, tears pouring out of her eyes, and her body shaking with sobs.  
"Well, the ningen dies crying, how typical," Ruon replied as he walked up to her.  
"Look up!" Ruon yelled as he used the dagger's tip to force Arisa's face up, and her tear filled eyes were swimming in tears.  
"I'm going to see my parents..." Arisa muttered, but as Ruon made the movement to thrust the knife into her, her hand shot up instead, and Ruon stared blankly at her, the shard of rock that had pierced his heart.  
"But I'm not going to be seeing them today," Arisa finished as she pulled her hand back from the shard, and Ruon collapsed to the ground.  
"Uh... Ruon had no pulse.... Arisa Katakana is the winner!" the announcer called out.  
Arisa walked over to Ruon's body, and she smiled slightly as she took his amulet necklace and the dagger he was going to stab her with.  
"Thank you, Ruon, you taught me something valuable..." Arisa whispered to the dead ears, and then let the medics rush her off the field, and slowly... sleep claimed her.  
  
That's it for this chapter, read and review! Tell me whatcha think! I'll even take flames! 


	6. Seen it once, seen it all

Hello! Okay, last fight was really bloody! Now, Arisa is lying in the hospital bed and Kurama has come to see her! fades into story line  
  
Arisa woke slowly in bed, and her eyes scanned the room, trying to focus on something. The something turned out to be Kurama's red head of hair.  
"K...Kurama??" she asked, unsure. It was most likely not, some stupid demon coming to kill her while she was weak, with her luck.  
"Arisa?" Kurama replied, standing up and walking over to her bedside.  
"Hey, did... did team Urameshi win this round??" Arisa asked, wishing the bandages that covered her nose and cheeks were off.  
"Yes, team Urameshi won. Yuske and Kuwabarra fought. It seems your almost death spurred them into intense fighting. Good job, it's quite a challenge to get them emotional," Kurama smiled at her, eyes closed.  
"Ha, good, 'cuz I'd throttle them if they lost!" Arisa pushed herself up to a sitting position, and noticed most of her body was littered with bandages. A I.V dripped blood through a needle inserted into her arm.  
"Uh... that's human blood... right??" Arisa asked, an odd look crossing her face.  
"Yes, they have a good deal of medical blood here for humans, so you're safe," Kurama stared at the bag of blood as it slowly dripped into her.  
"You lost a great deal of blood, I am impressed you were able to stand," Kurama replied, his voice calm as ever.  
"Ah, I'll be fine if I can just... Ow... get that needle out!" she pulled the needle straight out of her arm, grimacing as the pain shot through her arm, and she grabbed a nearby bag of gauze, and constructed a very sloppy cork for the blood to keep it from being wasted.  
With unsure hands, she pulled the bandages off her face and her once porcelain skin was marred with so many micro cuts not to mention the large cuts on each of her cheeks.  
"It's a crescent moon..." Kurama murmured, looking up at the translucent tent's ceiling.  
"So? Seen it once, don't exactly need to see it again. It's just the sky, nothing more then a mass of stars and planets and what-not. Who cares?" Arisa asked as she examined her ankle that was kept in a slender steel brace.  
"But the sky is always different," Kurama replied, looking at her sadly.  
"Ya know, I was a lot like you once. Every day I relished what the world had in store for me, but that ended with a crash... Did you know I went into that fight ready and willing to die?? I did... I could have easily killed that demon, but I wanted to die... I was knowing I was going to have to give up my job for it..." Arisa trailed off, laughing silently.  
"I'll never understand your longing for death, it makes little sense to me..." Kurama muttered as he resumed to staring at the sky.  
"Let me put it this way, when we first met, you were worried about your mother, correct?" Arisa asked.  
"Yes, I was worried... why??" Kurama asked as he looked back down at her, curious.  
"Because, what would you do if that precious mother of your died, huh??" Arisa asked, calmly un-bandaging her arms and staring bemusedly at the millions of cuts.  
"I would feel horrible! And I've had to contemplate that many times, so why are you bringing it up?!?" Kurama asked, feeling his temper rising at her comments on his mother and her bringing up these terrible feelings.  
"Calm down, you little brat," She replied as she stood up, the only bandages left on her were on her deep wounds, and that was it, "See, kids like you never have manners!" Arisa looked at him, and her eyes were dark and serious.  
"Why are you calling me a kid?" Kurama asked, as he struggled to keep his temper in check.  
"Because I can, because you are," Arisa replied, her voice calm and steady as she pulled on a pair of loose legged denim pants.  
"You never make sense," Kurama replied, rubbing his head. She was like talking to a rock!  
"Thank you," and she pulled on a loose black blouse and she started buttoning the front.  
"I want to see my parents, but I realize now that I have to keep alive and finish out my sentence, and then I'll die, and see them..." Arisa trailed off, her voice soft.  
"What do you mean your sentence?! And why do you want to die? You have much to live for!!" Kurama asked, shocked by her.  
"Don't you dare even think you can talk to me like that?! I've been through Hell and back, and you think you have the right to talk to me about my rights!! HA! You still have your mother! You still have your hope!!" Arisa yelled at him, her voice like acid.  
"I just can't understand your readiness to die," Kurama replied, as he tried to keep his voice calm.  
"I had to keep secrets from my parents! I had to ever since the day of the accident!" Arisa screamed back, tears coursing down her cheeks, and the salt in the tears stung her face.  
"What accident?" Kurama asked.  
"It was a long time ago, and you'll keep your nose out of it if you know what's good for you!" she replied curtly, and she walked out of the tent. Kurama was left staring at the door. He shook his head and walked back to his room...  
  
Thanks! Well, I'm sooo happy this is going sooo well! Sorry it takes sooo long for me to write these! BTW.... Arisa gets to fight again, against Kurama (they get in a huge fight) and you get to find out more about Arisa's past, and you can finally get to see her Kick A$$ powers!! See, she didn't use them against Ruon because she wanted to die... Thanks for your reviews! See ya in the next chapter. 


	7. Memories of a life long gone

Hello again! This is the chapter... where you finally get to Arisa's powers! YAY!! Let's get straight to this chase!

Arisa lay in her bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. For some reason, she felt so by Kurama and his constant hopefulness. She paced around her small room fitfully, until she resumed to staring out the window. She moaned, and in her frustration, and she vented it by hitting her head constantly on the window, the rhythmic beating of her head hitting the window echoed throughout her dingy room.

Kurama lay in his bed, when he heard the thump, thump, thump, of what, he did not know. He looked around. Sighing, he thought to himself silently, he was never going to get to sleep with that noise flooding around in his room.

He pushed his window open to see the thumping was coming from the window on his right. Kurama pushed his head out the window, and noticed the banging was coming from Arisa hitting her head against the window. He climbed silently onto the tree outside his window, and he knocked softly against her window. She looked up, and shoved the window open.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice cold.

"If you keep banging your head like that I won't be able to get any sleep. I just want you to stop," Kurama replied, his voice matching hers on the cold factor (brr....)

"Make me," she spat back glaring at him through red rimmed eyes.

"Have you been crying??" Kurama asked, suddenly worried, as he noticed her red eyes.

"Maybe I have, why do you want to know anyway, huh, brat??" she asked, glaring at him.

"Stop calling me brat. I was just wondering," he replied, his voice annoyed.

"I can call you whatever I want!" she shot back, glaring at him.

(Arisa's pov!!)

"Please just calm down, all I want you to do is to stop hitting your head against the window, or your wounds will open up again, and then you'll start bleeding again," Kurama told me, his voice annoyingly calm.

"It doesn't matter if my wounds open and I bleed forever, I can't die, trust me, I've tried!" I yelled back, fresh tears rolled down my face. I walked away from the window for an instant, and when I turned around, Kurama was standing in my room, brushing leaves out of his hair.

"AH, what are you doing in here?" I asked, my voice rising in slightly.

"Calm down, why are you like this?? Tell me, you said so yourself it helps," he said, his voice smooth like butter.

That's when I felt it again. I longed to over to him, and go into his embrace. Why did I feel this?? My mind tugged at me to go and tell him. I shook my head slightly. I can't do this! He may think he can take it, but I know he couldn't. He'd just be like my parents, or my friends... I don't want to be left alone again.

"What? Come on, Arisa, you won't get to sleep the way you are, and you'll need all the rest you can get," he said, his large green eyes pleading with me.

"No... I... I don't..."

"You don't what??"

"I....don't want to be...." I said, and in a quite whisper, I said, "Alone..."

"What? You don't want to be.... What??" Kurama asked me, as I turned my back to him.

That's just it, I just said it. I didn't want to be alone... was that really true?? I mean, I should be used to it, I've been like that forever, but... do I really want to be alone?? I fell slowly to my knees as the realization of what I said came rushing to my head.

"It was a hit and run," I said softly, as it replayed in my head.

That fateful day kept rushing through my head, just like in my dreams.

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked, and I could hear him walk closer to me. I closed my eyes tightly, and somehow, my tears managed to still pour out.

Instantly, I wished I hadn't closed my eyes, this always happened when I let my guard down!

Sound crashed into my ears. I could hear each tear drop hit the ground, and it crashed into my ears, deafening me. The sound of Kurama's footsteps pounded through my head like a drill. The sound of the room overwhelmed me. I screamed out in pain as I grabbed my ears, in a vain attempt to keep the sound out. I struggled to breathe and gain control.

(Normal POV)

Kurama stood shocked to see Arisa screaming in pain as she covered her ears. He couldn't hear anything. That's when it happened, light. Light seemed to emanate from Arisa and it a flash, it disappeared.

"Arisa's what wrong??" he asked, worried about her, as her form still remained hunched over on the ground.

"Leave... just... please..." she moaned, as she gasped for breath, her hair wet from sweat.

"No! You need to tell me what is wrong, maybe I can help! And what do you mean when you say it was a hit and run??" Kurama demanded.

"Nothing..." Arisa muttered as she stood up slowly.

(Arisa's POV)

I steadied my self on unsure legs and I grasped the door frame for support. The noise had diminished slowly, and it finally returned back to normal. I wished I could run into his arms and let him hold me.

"Please, tell me what's going on. You said it yourself, it can really help if you do so," Kurama's voice hit my ears, and his voice seemed to plead with me.

"I can't tell you, someone like you wouldn't understand!" I yelled back glaring at him. My temper started to rise, but in my sadness, I couldn't stop it. Rage flowed up in me, and it overflowed, and the moment it did, the window's glass panes exploded, sending glass flying everywhere.

"What the!?!" Kurama yelled out in surprise as he rushed to the window, "What did that?!?" he asked as he picked up one of the shards of glass.

I placed a hand over my heart, steadying myself, as I breathed in slowly. I hadn't made anything explode in about 20 years. What was going on with me??

"Must have been fragile glass," I said, hoping he wouldn't figure out that I did it.

"It's bullet proof glass," Kurama said, looking at me curiously.

"So?" I asked in a defending tone.

"Did you do this?" he asked, getting a odd look on his face.

"Wha... what?!?! As if I could do THAT!" I scoffed pointing at the window with a shaking hand. My long dormant temper started to flare up again, and I prayed it wouldn't overflow.

"You're keeping something from me, please, just tell me!" Kurama pleaded at me, looking at me with sad eyes.

"NO! Why... why should I?!? You'd be just like the others!!" I screamed, my rage boiling up again, and just as my voice hit 'I' the vase, mirror, pitcher, and any other glass or ceramic item in my room exploded. I stared around, and as I stepped back, shocked at my outburst, it hit me again.

I was suddenly out of the room. I saw a young girl of about 5 years old with curly auburn hair smiling as she walked across a dirt road. I heard the roar of an engine, and I looked down the road to see a large Range Rover barrel down the road. I tried to scream to the girl, but my voice seemed to not work. I stared, horrified as I saw the crash, and I felt pain bristled through out my body, like a fire. I screamed, and I suddenly was back in my room. All my wounds had re-opened, and were quickly sealing again.

"ARISA!" Kurama yelled out, and I could sense he was ready to run over to me.

"No.... stay away!" I cried out, and Kurama yelled out in pain.

(Normal POV)

Kurama was thrown against the wall of the room by some unseen force, and he slid down the wall. He steadied himself, and watched as Arisa crumpled on the ground...

(What Arisa Sees)

The little girl's spirit slowly left its body and slowly drifted off to the spirit world. Arisa felt herself following it, and soon she saw the young girl wandering in the underworld palace.

'What are you doing here?' a voice asked the young girl, and she looked up, smiling that innocent kid smile at seeing Koenma standing there, looking at her.

'Hi, mister,' she said in a sweet voice as she looked at him with large eyes.

'You shouldn't be here; you should be waiting to be sorted!' Koenma exclaimed.

'But I don't want to be in there, there's yucky looking things in there... they scare me...' the girl said, pouting cutely and looking at Koenma with large tearful eyes.

'Hm, well, what do you want?' he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

'I want to go back to my parents, I don't want them to be sad,' she replied, looking at him, tears rolling down her cubby cheeks.

'Hmm... Well, normally I wouldn't do this to someone you age, but I was looking for someone with your... ahem... heritage. Well, follow me,' Koenma said as he walked to his office. The girl followed him, walking in that unsure fashion that kids have. As soon as they were in the office, Arisa watched Koenma summon a man who appeared to be around 25 years old. He had shaggy blond hair and dirty blue eyes.

'Koenma, you want me to pass it on to... her??" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Yes, unless you want your sentence to go on for another thousand years. She's ideal,' Koenma said, pointing at the girl, who was sucking her thumb. The man walked over to her.

'What's your name, sweetie?" he asked, looking into the girl's mismatched eyes.

'Arisa, and what's yours, mister??' she asked, smiling at him.

'Kai, now I want you to close your eyes, and this may hurt,' he instructed softly, and the little girl followed, squeezing her eyes shut.

Arisa watched as the young man muttered something in a language she knew all too well, and there was a light, and the little girl started to bawl in pain as a green light shot out of the man's hand, and was sucked into the girl's.

'There, Arisa, now, if you need anything, say this incantation, and I'll come to do whatever I can to help you. Think of it as my way of saying I'm sorry,' he said and he whisper something into the girl's ear, and as he got up, he suddenly noticed Arisa.

'Well, this is new, usually they can't see me in my memories,' she thought to herself.

'Remember, you don't have to be alone,' he said out loud to her, winked, and he disappeared. Arisa stood there, shocked, when the girl's bawling brought her back to reality. The girl stopped crying, and looked up at Koenma with different eyes. Her once innocent eyes now held a sort of shadow behind them, and she seemed less childish as she pulled herself off the ground, wiped off her tears, and returned to her body, now completely healed. Arisa cried at seeing this, wishing that it had never happened. Time zoomed forward, and now the girl was 15, and she had forgotten about what had happen in Koenma's palace as she sat in her room. Suddenly, a portal opened, and Koenma walked in, in teenage form.

'Arisa Katakana?' Koenma asked and the girl looked up from a book she was reading in her room.

'Uh, yeah, how did you get here??' she asked, grabbing the baseball bat that was leaning against her table.

'I'm sorry for having to do this, but at the age of 5, you died,' Koenma stated.

'No, I didn't, cause I'm still here,' she said, scoffing at him.

'I sealed those memories away when you were 6. You need to remember now though, it's time,' he said, looking at her gravely.

'What?' she asked, tightening her grip on her baseball bat as he stepped closer.

'Remember,' He said, then muttered an incantation, and the girl was hit by a wave of memories, as she fell to the floor, holding her head.

'You are no longer just Arisa, you are Gaia, and it your job to protect this Earth,' Koenma said.

'No...I can't... please...' the girl begged him as she fell to her knees, crying.

'I must go, you now know everything you need to know about your new status. You can choose to tell or not to tell your parents. Your body will no longer age though, side affect of being immortal,' Koenma explained, and she watched as he disappeared through the portal, and it closed up behind him.

Time zoomed by again, to when she told her parents, who stared at her like she was some sort of abomination, and asked her so many questions. She ran out of her house, and went to a friends house, a young man, who smiled at her, and when she told him the news about her, he nodded, and then said, 'It doesn't matter, you're still Arisa, right??' he asked, and he threw a arm around her shoulder. She smiled.

Arisa stood there, watching all of this, tears flowing down her face, and she watched time fly by again, and there she was, watching her friends die, and her parents.

"STOP IT!! Just... make it stop...." Arisa screamed she fell to the floor, the salt of her tears burning on her cuts. The memories faded, and she was in a forest clearing, and someone walked out to meet her.

"Arisa, it's been along time," the young man called out, and as he stepped out into the clearing he turned out to be Kai...

Okie dokie, sorry, there wasn't much of fight, and it's pretty long. It also is confusing, and I don't know what I think of this chapter... too much listening to gothic music! laughs Well, please, tell me what you think, and review, it'll help me out tons, cuz I think I can't write, and this fan fic is a lot more serious than I usually write!

Next chapter's preview: Arisa talks to Kai; while Kurama attempts to awake her body from what he thinks is a coma. Arisa explains about whom she really is to Kurama, will he accept her? And Arisa realizes that she loves Kurama, but she won't tell him... why?? Find out in Chapter 8... forest of my dreams


	8. Forest of my Dreams

Hello! I'm soooo sorry for taking so long to update this thing lately, but here go. BTW, thank you guys soooo much for giving me a total of 10 reviews! YAY!! does sad happy dance! BTW, Arisa is in a weird forest, and Kai has just walked out to meet her. He looks as young as she remembers...fades into story line

"Kai!" she screamed as she ran to the young man.

"It's good to see you, Arisa, why does it take you so long to talk to me?" Kai asked, smiling happily at her.

"Ah... well... I've been busy, with the new tournament and all..." she muttered, and looked away.

"Well, it's good to see you. I heard about your parents, I'm so sorry," Kai mumbled to her as he placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Feh, it's not that bad, it's not like I really care..." she said defiantly, but Kai could see tears in her eyes.

"You do care, and I wish you'd realize that you can live a normal life."

"Like the normal life you once live, eh, Kai? Need I remind you both your children and your wife died in that train wreck, but you didn't, I don't call that normal," Arisa said coldly, glaring at him.

"Ay, you can be so cold, and I don't know why. I guess it happened ever since Alex died," he replied, looking at her slyly out of the corner of his eye.

"What did you say about Alex?" she said, her voice hitting sub- zero.

"Nothing, I'm just saying you shouldn't carry that guilt. He's long since moved on and maybe you should. He died with no regrets," he said calmly, and placed an arm around her shoulder as they sat down against a tree.

"I just, feel bad, because I feel..." Arisa trailed off.

"You feel like your cheating on him by liking that Minomino boy, correct?" Kai asked, cocking his head.

"How did you...?"

"Simple, I may be here in this forest, but I'm very much tied to you, just like the Gaias before you," Kai replied simply, fiddling with a daisy that was growing out of the ground nearby.

"Hm...," Arisa sighed as she looked up at the clouds, "Do you know how long it's been since I've really looked at the sky, and noticed how pretty it is?" she asked Kai absentmindedly.

"I dunno, how long?"

"Years, and years ago. Do you think Alex would be mad if I started to like Kurama?" she asked.

"I think he would be happy, as long as you are happy," he replied, running his slender hands through her russet curls.

"It's just, he's so like Alex, it's almost uncanny. I've learned a lot so far in this tournament, but I'm so afraid, what if I let the team down?" she asked, a singular tear sliding down her cheek.

"You won't. Arisa, I've never seen you act like this. What brought on the sudden change?" Kai asked, smiling at her.

"I just realized that I don't want to die... it's a new feeling, that fear, for me," Arisa replied, staring at her scarred hands.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad it happened. So are you ever going to tell this Minomino boy that you love him?"

"No, why would I do that?"

"Because I thought you said you liked him."

"I do."

"You must have _the_ most twisted logic ever," Kai muttered.

"I don't want to hurt him," she muttered...

(Back in the spirit world)

Kurama paced back and force, looking at the form of Arisa, who was dead asleep on the floor. What if she didn't wake, what happened back there? And why did she collapse?

He shook his head and did his best to try to wake her, but it was to no avail.

"Arisa, please, wake up," he muttered as he tried his hardest to shake her awake, but she had gone completely limp. It had been three hours since she was like this, and he could sense that her life force was very low. What was going on??

(Back in the forest)

"Arisa, I think it would be best if you go now, Kurama is worried sick about you," Kai said quite suddenly.

"What? How long have I been out?" She demanded as she stood up.

"Ah... four hours now, the sun has risen."

"Oh no! I've got to go! I'll do my best to visit you more often, bye" Arisa yelled as she faded out of the forest.

"I'll never get that girl... maybe it's best that way..."and with that Kai chuckled to himself, and looked up when he heard a young woman's voice calling for him.

"I'm coming, Matsuru," he called out and got up, and walked out of the forest.

"Who were you talking to?" the young brunette demanded.

"Just an old friend... Arisa..."

"Ah... Never did understand that girl..." Matsuru muttered, and Kai laughed...

"Arisa, please you must wake up," Kurama said softly as he shook her.

"Ah, please stop shaking me," Arisa said as she opened her eyes, and blushed as Kurama's face greeted her.

"I'm so glad you're awake, what happened?" Kurama asked, genuinely worried.

"I'm fine, I just got lost..." she muttered, and stood up shakily.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurama asked, standing up to help her.

"I'm perfectly fine, but, uh, Kurama, I have something I have to tell you..." she muttered.

'This is it, I've got to tell him what I am,' she thought to herself, and she grabbed his hand.

"What is it Arisa?" Kurama asked, as he looked at her, utter confusion on his face.

"I...really need to tell you this... come with me," she said simply as she pulled him out the door, and to the nearby forest. Kurama watched as trees whizzed past him a blur as Arisa kept dragging him until she made it to a simple clearing.

The clearing was on the top of a large hill, and Arisa pulled Kurama to a sitting position next to her, and she took in a deep breath.

"Arisa, what is the meaning of this? Why did you take me here??" Kurama asked as he looked over at Arisa, her hair damp from the moisture that hung in the air, and her cheeks flushed a deep rose color.

"I need to tell you something, at the age of five, I was hit by a car. My family was camping, and I was walking across this dirt road, and this huge SUV came barreling down. It hit me, and I died instantaneously. I thought it was the end, but I put a fight, and didn't want to die, I never liked seeing my parents sad, and I knew that my death certainly would make them sad. So, Koenma made a deal with me, and let me come back to life, but as you know, it was my time to die, so my coming back was...er... unnatural. It seemed to make sense that I would be unnatural, too. The day I died changed me but I didn't know I had... well, you know, until I was 15 because my memories were erased. I was sadly awoken, and the powers that came back with me from my trip to the spirit world came very evident. I was scared, and I found out, I can't die, unless, well, stabbed through the heart. It was painful to know this, expecially when you see your friends and parents die. I should have been used to it, but it's something you don't get used to..." she muttered, and at that, she stopped suddenly, and took in a deep shuddering breath, her body wracking with sobs.

"Arisa's are you okay??" Kurama asked, as he looked at her with his deep emerald eyes.

"F..fine.. When I finally told my parents, they weren't very understanding. I went to a friends house, and he helped me. I was 26 at the time. When I became the last of my family line, I lost hope. I had placed a powerful seal on my body a few years ago. It gave me the form of a normal human, not to mention weaker powers. I thought that it would help to keep people from seeking me out, not to mention demons, but it didn't work. I... I... I am so afraid," she said, and she broke into large sobs, tears pouring down her face.

"It's okay, what are you afraid of??" Kurama asked, a worried look gracing his face.

"I moved so many times because people get suspicious, and I couldn't stand it, I never told many people, because I was afraid. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would think me as a freak..."

"No, I would never do that, but Arisa, what are you to be exact?" Kurama asked, still confused. She said she couldn't die, does that mean she's an immortal?? No, that couldn't be it!

"I... I'm Gaia, the guardian of the Earth. I... for the moment, am a Goddess," She replied, and she looked up from where she had buried her face into her arms. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and sighed deeply.

For that instant, when the sun was rising, Kurama suddenly noticed how beautiful Arisa was. The sun illuminated her skin a deep gold color, and her hair reflected the colors with such tones, she seemed to be made of gold and bronze.

"That's.... amazing," Kurama said in wonder. He looked over to see the last few tears roll slowly out of Arisa's eyes, and they glittered like diamonds before they felt slowly to earth. In that very moment, time seemed to slow down, and he smiled.

"I... I need to be going, well, thanks, Kurama," Arisa said simply, her voice soft and smooth, and she leaned foreward, and kissed Kurama sweetly on the cheek, and walked off through the trees, leaving a very confused Kurama sitting on the hill, staring in wonder at the view the Earth was giving him. He placed his hand up and touched where Arisa had kissed him, and smiled, though he didn't know why...

YAY!!! I did it! Up to chapter Eight! Thank you soooo much to all of you who've read this, and even more thanks to all of you who review!! Thanks soooo much!!! cries happily This story will get better faster, plus please read and review, or else I will never know how good (or bad) my story is! Thanks!! - Vvictory sign w/ fingers)

Chapter 9 previews....the next round in the tournament fights begin, again, and Kurama finds out just how Alex died. In the meantime, Arisa is struggling with her inner demons, as well as the one in the ring with her! See ya soon in Chapter 9- Sorry


	9. Authoress' Notes

Me: Hello! I am so sorry I haven't written in a while, but I've had terrible, and I do mean terrible writers block.

Hiei: Hn. You always have writers block.

Me: You don't always have to be that mean... watery eyes

Kurama: What Trenity170 is trying to say it that she's sorry that she hasn't been able to write, but she'll write soon, correct??

Me: Uh..... sure..... making way to door

Hiei: Hn, stupid ningen... grabs back of shirt

Me: Aw..... Dangit!!

Kurama: you will write more, correct Trenity170

Me: But I'm so tiered, and sleepy, and... and... and...

Hiei: And what??

Me: Nothing....... I'll write more as soon as I possibly can, and as soon as my writers block clears up.... Thanks.


	10. Kill a friend twice

Hey ya'll! It's great to be writing again. Gosh, I'm so sorry that you guys had to wait so long. I know I'm not the best author, but I always forget to write. Now that school's started and all. Chapter Nine…Sorry…

tweet tweet Arisa woke to the sound of birds chirping outside of her room window. She opened her eyes slowly, letting the morning light creep slowly into her eyes. She sighed, and stretched luxuriously under her bed sheets. She sighed deeply, but then she saw it, the clock face. It blared out at her "YOU'RE LATE!!!!" She yelled out in surprise as she jumped quickly out of bed, groaning as her sore muscles yelled out at her again.

She quickly threw on a pair of jeans, and long sleeve shirt, and a pair of clunky black boots. Her feet hit the floor heavily as she raced down the stairs as fast as she possibly could, praying to whatever God she could think of that she wouldn't be late.

Much to Arisa's horror, she saw the large doors begin to close, and she just barely made it through the doors.

"What the heck are you doing being this late?!?!" she was greeted with Yuske yelling at her.

"Ah… I'm sorry, I was just tiered…" she muttered surprised and somewhat disheartened.

"And you think that I'm not?!?!" he yelled back. Arisa looked away, hurt riddled on her face.

"Sorry, it won't happen again," she replied.

"It'd better not!" Yuske replied, his vocal range peaking.

"Yuske, please, give Arisa a break, she did make it on time," Kurama replied, patting Arisa on the shoulder, almost wishing the memories of last night to stay hidden.

"Uh, I wish to fight first again, I really need to blow some steam," she announced, with a kind of finality in her voice.

"Uh… sure?" Yuske replied, unsure on the fact that she had just gotten better.

"Do you want to keep me from fighting?" she snapped, glaring at him over her shoulder. In that instant, she was very scary.

"N.n.n.no…" he put his hands up as if to defend himself.

"Okay all you demons out there! Our first fighters for this round are Arisa Katakana for Team Urameshi, and for Team Seshii we have… who?? Oh! Alex Moriya will be fighting for Team Seshii!" she announcer called out. Cheers rose out throughout the crowd.

But the excitement left Arisa quickly. She turned pale and stopped suddenly, doing her best to try to pull herself up to the platform. Her face turned from white to red as she pulled herself up and stormed to the announcer.

"WHAT!?!?!" she demanded, slamming her foot into the stone, brandishing her fist.

"T…t…that's what they told us…" she stuttered, leaning backwards from the now very frightening Arisa.

"What, are you upset, Arisa?" a soft male voice spoke out to her.

She turned around very slowly, the hem of her coat rustling on the ground very softly. She held a look of pain in her eyes as she looked at the young man.

He was tall, and was perfectly muscled. He had grassy green eyes and soft auburn hair. It was cut simply and above his ears (think Daisuke from DNAngel) it was spiked naturally, and still messy from what seemed like sleep. He had a baggy pair of jeans on that had various cargo pockets all over its legs. His torso was covered by a vintage top of a washed out blue with some obscure store's name printed on it in white. He grinned at her with straight white teeth.

"No, why would I be upset, Alex, haven't seen you in a while, how was death?" she spat back, feeling anger swell up out of her heart.

"Well, Arisa, that's the thing, having you kill me wasn't all that great, and I wanted a shot to yell at you about it," he replied, smirking at her.

"Well, I would have never guessed you to be one for revenge, Alex," she replied coolly, even though she filled with so much rage.

"Seems like you didn't know me all that well," he replied calmly as the referee announced it was time for the battle to start.

"Last time I check, you were human, so I guess it won't be that easy to beat you," she replied, her voice wavering from the slight remorse that was growing in her.

"Well, why don't you find out?" he replied. Arisa closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, her body shuddering from the intake of breath and then, she lunged forward and raced at him, and swung at him with her right leg, hoping to catch him off guard. But to her surprise, he was gone by the time her leg was going to connect, her leg swinging harmlessly through an after-image. She regained her balance and turned around, seeing Alex standing calmly behind her, a very wicked looking sword grasped in his right hand.

It was large, very large, with a slightly serrated edge. It was forged to make its bite a great deal more painful. She winced upon seeing the blade.

"Alex, how'd you get behind me?" she asked, trying to act like he was still her friend who just went to a different country for a while.

"Oh, no reason that you need to know," he replied, grinning at her slightly, placing his free hand in his pocket.

"Fine," she replied, "I don't want to do this," she replied and she placed her hand on the stone of the platform. "O stone, hear my plea, rise up and protect me, I call upon your ancient power, to help in my darkest hour!" she cried out and then Alex did his best to dodge as a large spike of stone suddenly shot out at him, he just barely made it out of the way. Arisa closed her eyes, then cried out "Again!" as soon as Alex landed he had to dodge another spike growing out of the ground.

"Are you going to kill me again, eh, Arisa?" he replied, smirking at her as he suddenly appeared right in front of her.

"If the need be, yes," she replied, swinging at him with her left hand. He blocked effortlessly.

"I can't help but wonder how you told my parents that you killed me?" he replied, swinging at her with the sword. She ducked, flattening herself against the stone and rolling to the side to get away. He swung at her again, but she cried out again "Stone, rise up and protect you guardian," and suddenly, his sword connected with a shield of stone that had risen up to meet him, covering Arisa.

"Alex, for your information, I didn't tell your parents anything, and you know I regret it, but what would you do!?!" she cried out, jumping away from another swing he made at her. The metal seemed to sing as it tore into the bridge of her nose. The small serrated edges ripped her flesh, and she tried to hold back a scream of pain, but it ended up bursting out of her mouth, filling the air with the sound of pain. Blood coursed down her nose and dripped on the tip as she stood up.

"Well, Alex, you've gotten better at fighting," she replied, wiping the blood off of her face.

"There are many things you don't know about me," he replied swinging at her again. She ducked and swung at him with an almighty kick and it finally connected.

Alex was sent flying back and he landed on his back, his free hand grasping onto the rock's face. He stood back up and pulled the sword back to a ready position. Arisa conjured a ball of fire in her hand and sent it flying at him. He did his best to dodge, but instead his sword went flying through the air, landing at Arisa's feet. She reached down and picked it up.

"Alex, I truly am sorry you hated me for killing you so much resorted to this, but I can't let you beat me. I have to do this… I have to send you back to death… where you belong…" she charged at him, and Kurama shut his eyes as he heard the sound of the sword entering flesh. He opened them to see Arisa standing in front of Alex, the sword embedded in him, stabbed straight through.

"Alex, I killed you because I had to… but… I did what I had to…" she pulled it out of him, and Alex was left standing with a shocked look on his face, blood dribbling out of his mouth.

"A..risa?" he asked in a confused manner, and Arisa just nodded.

"I…I'm sorry…" he muttered softly and he collapsed, his body falling down to the ground. Arisa stood there crying as she knelt down next to him.

"I'm the one who's truly sorry, I'm sorry they used your body like that, that they used you like a puppet, I am so sorry," she bowed her head over his body, her tears falling on his form. She could sense his spirit leaving, and it made her cry even more. 2 times she had to kill her best friend, and it was 2 time too many.

Kurama pulled himself up to the platform and walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he muttered.

"Yeah," Arisa replied, and then stood up, facing the announcer.

"Team Seshii should be disqualified, that man," she pointed to a tall older man who was dressed all in black, a plain mask on his face, covering his features. "Is a corpse jockey, a necromancer, and he's using his team mates. According to the rules of the Seven Souls Tournament, his team has to be disqualified," she replied, pointing at the man, who she could feel glaring at her with cold eyes.

"Uh… Team Urameshi won the fight, and Team Seshii has been disqualified on accounts of necromancy," she called out, and Arisa promptly fainted into Kurama's arms, muttering out "I'm sorry," as she did so.

-There we go, finished finally with this chappy, tell me what you think, and yet again, so sorry it took me so long to write again, and I hope to have the next chappy up faster. Bye!


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